MST3K 1012 - Squirm
Squirm is the 12th episode of the tenth season of ''Mystery Science Theater 3000, the 197th episode overall, and the penultimate episode of the entire series. It premiered on August 1, 1999. ''A Case of Spring Fever'' Synopsis By accidentally bad-mouthing springs, a doughy man runs afoul of Coily the Spring Sprite, a hellish little creature with a single tooth, pointed ears and a voice like a cartoon grandpa. Angered by the man's taking springs for granted, the demonic Coily shows the man a dystopian world where springs no longer exist. Whenever the man attempts to use something that once contained springs, Coily lunges out of the device, shrieking "No springs!" before chuckling demonically and disappearing with an odd whistling noise. At the brink of insanity, our lumpy hero pleads with Coily to return him to the world he once took for granted. After a brief moment of consideration, Coily relents and brings him back to his own universe. After his epiphany, he becomes a spring zealot, preaching about the marvellous wonders of springs and their importance in everyday life, much to the annoyance of his golf buddies. On the drive home, one of his friends makes the same mistake he once made- wishing to never see another spring again- but he is cut short by our spring-spouting preacher before Coily can strike again. Information *This short is famous for Coiley's aforementioned quote which he repeats several times throughout the short. *The short was referenced back in the Joel-era, during the "Waffle Man" skits in episodes 317 and 423 even though the actual short did not appear in riffed form until years later as the MST crew had seen the short but never got around to using in an episode. ''Squirm'' Synopsis Start with the The Deadly Bees, but set it in the deep, deep, deep south, replace the female pop singer with a male lead who's also blonde and only slightly less feminine, replace bees with worms, and that's about it. There are lots of worms in this movie, and possibly the best stinger line in series history ("You gonna be da worm face!") Unlike The Deadly Bees this movie has lots and lots of location shots. However they don't make the movie any better--only that much more sad and distressing. Like Roger Corman's films, the plot is revealed during extremely long stretches of exposition between disconnected bursts of action, making the film more of a slideshow than anything else. The hero isn't, the special effects aren't, and the plot revolves around the idea that a bunch of inbred hillbillies are too stupid to leave a dangerous situation (so at least the plot is somewhat plausible). Information * Kim Basinger auditioned for the female lead. *Sylvester Stallone eagerly pursued the casting agents for the part of Roger, and Martin Sheen was briefly attached to the project to play Mick. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075261/trivia *Director Jeff Lieberman is better known for his extremely bizarre, cult-classic, 1978 horror film Blue Sunshine. *Based on an incident that took place in Fly Creekm Georgia in 1975. *The film was shot in 24 days. *Jeff Lieberman chose Brian Smedley-Aston to edit the film because Smedley-Aston was the editor on Performance (1970), one of Lieberman's favorite films. *According to director Jeff Lieberman, the reason actress Jean Sullivan spoke with such an exaggerated southern accent was because she was a fan of Tennessee Williams and was playing homage to him. *Director Jeff Lieberman cited Hitchcock's The Birds (1963, with Tippi Hedron) as the film's biggest influence *Aside from the main cast the rest of the people featured in the film were locals of Port Wentworth, Georgia - the small town where the film was shot on location. *R.A. Dow, who played Roger, was a Method actor and lived in Port Wentworth, Georgia, for a few weeks before the shoot began so he could develop a feel for the local character. *The shot of the worms pouring out of the living room ceiling was actually a reverse shot. The camera was turned upside down and filmed live worms being dropped onto a floor that was a mock-up of the ceiling. When the footage was reversed, it appeared as if the worms fell from a hole in the ceiling. *According to director Jeff Lieberman, there was no trickery used in the scene where the tree falls and smashes through the Sanders' dinning room. Lieberman said it was all done in one take with an actual cut tree being released from a crane to fall through the constructed set, complete with the actors on set! Several cameras were placed inside the set to capture the actors literally fleeing for their lives as the large tree landed within feet of them. *The inspiration for the film came from a childhood experiment between director Jeff Lieberman and his brother. One evening the two hooked up a train transformer to wet soil and used the electricity to drive hundreds of worms out of the ground. Young Lieberman noticed that the worms tried to get away from the glare of the flashlight that the boys were using to see by because worms are light-sensitive. It became the scientific basis behind this film and the story of the experiment is re-told by the character of Roger Grimes *On the Region-1 DVD commentary of the film, Jeff Lieberman says that the old farmhouse used for Mr. Beardsley's home during the shoot is known as one of the most infamous haunted houses in Georgia. *The amount of sea worms used in the film was countless, as the production would order shipments of 250,000 Glycera worms at a time. The production would end up wiping out New England's supply of Glycera fishing worms that year. *The unearthly screeching sounds used for the worms are actually the electronically processed sounds of screaming pigs in slaughterhouses *During the production there was a mix up with the film processing lab. Footage from a wedding was accidentally sent to Lieberman and B roll footage of worms for the film was sent to the newlyweds. *Once in the 1980s, WPIX-TV in New York accidentally showed the film in black-and-white. Instead of complaining, Jeff Lieberman called the station and mentioned how much he loved the way the film looked. In fact, Lieberman prefers people to watch the film in black-and-white even though a black-and-white version is not available. Instead, you should turn the color down all the way on your television set. The Episode Host Segments '''Prologue: The annual safety check on the SOL reveals that it's completely unsafe. And suggests an alternative use for HAM radios. Segment 1: Pearl is happy! She organizes a fair at Castle Forrester, modestly beginning her quest for worldwide fair domination. She's not impressed by the Bots' prize pig, but she is wowed by some other offbeat attractions. There seems to be a lot happening on the satellite that Mike isn't aware of. Segment 2: Mikey the Mike Sprite visits and shows the Bots a world without Mike, but they are unfazed by Mikey's powers, mainly wishing for Mike back so Mikey will go away. Segment 3: Servo has contracted an extreme case of Southern Belleness! it's up to Mike and Crow to Yankee him back to his senses. Segment 4 ''': Mike replicates the electrical experiment from the movie on his pal Emmett the worm. With delicious results. '''Segment 5: Crow tries to poke fun at the gangly younger sister in the movie by way of his really tall platform shoes. It's not long before he realizes the drawbacks of this plan. Back at the castle, Pearl appears to have seriously misunderstood the allure of bungee jumping. Come to the fair! Stinger: "You gonna be dah worm-face!" Callbacks * “Jeeeeeeed!” (The Leech Woman) * “The monster called Gamera is destroying the city.” Obscure References A Case of Spring Fever *''"My Tamagotchi seems okay!"'' The Tamagotchi or "digital" pet was a late 1990s fad that originated in Japan. *''"This Edgar Kennedy one-man show is going good."'' Edgar Kennedy was a popular comic actor during the 1920s and '30s. *''"Merry Christmas, you wonderful old couch!"'' Paraphrasing George Bailey's line from It's a Wonderful Life. * "I want to play but I can't" said in a voice like comedian Gilbert Gottfried Squirm *''"Roger!" "Ramjet!"'' Roger Ramjet was a 1960s Saturday-morning cartoon about a comedic superhero. *''"Most bizarre freak of nature...oh, broccoflower!"'' Broccoflower is a genetically modified hybrid of broccoli and cauliflower. *''"Uh-oh, he's gonna get Dave Barry all over his head!"'' Dave Barry is a Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist who had a widely syndicated newspaper column until 2004. *''"The Jim Varney Library!"'' Late comic actor Jim Varney was best known for playing the character Ernest P. Worrell. *''"He's actually lost in the Wooley Swamp.'' "The Legend of Wooley Swamp" is a horror-based song by Charlie Daniels that is set in a swamp in the deep South. *''"I'm switching it to the all-'Philadelphia Freedom' station."'' "Philadelphia Freedom" is an Elton John song recorded in 1975. *''"...and the yam that looks like Lyndon LaRouche!"'' Lyndon LaRouche is an American political activist and perennial third-party presidential candidate, known for his bizarre, conspiracy-obsessed worldview and the cultlike movement that has grown up around him. *''"The Ford station wagon: Unsmall at any speed."'' A reference to Unsafe at Any Speed, a book written by Ralph Nader in the 1960s. *''"Lowly Worm's Worst Day Ever!"'' Lowly Worm was a character in Richard Scarry's Busytown children's books. *''"It's Chuck Wepner's skull!"'' Boxer Chuck Wepner challenged Muhammad Ali for the world heavyweight title in a 1975 bout that loosely inspired the first Rocky movie. *''"Please, I need to get back into Gary Hart's closet!"'' Former Colorado senator Gary Hart campaigned for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1988, but dropped out of the race after a heavily publicized sex scandal tarnished his popularity. *''"...John Birch Society literature..."'' The John Birch Society is an extreme right-wing American political organization. *''"It's the skull of Mortimer Snerd!"'' Mortimer Snerd was a dummy used by ventriloquist Edgar Bergen, who was more famous for Charlie McCarthy. *''"Rerun? Dwayne? Deedee? Shirley? Mama?"'' Servo is listing characters from the 1970s sitcom "What's Happening!!". *''"Jame Gumb rents this shack!"'' Jame Gumb, a.k.a. Buffalo Bill, was a transsexual serial killer in The Silence of the Lambs. *''"Kevin McHale, Cross-dresser."'' Kevin McHale played for the Boston Celtics during the 1980s and early '90s. *''"Manute Bol's sister, Susan Bol!"'' Manute Bol was a Sudanese-born basketball player known for his imposing height of 7'7". *''"Letters to Der Weise Engel"'' Reference to the book and movie Marathon Man. Laurence Olivier's character, former head of a Nazi concentration camp, was nicknamed "Der Weise Engel" (the White Angel) by his inmates, and in one scene is recognized by several Jewish citizens in New York who cry out his nickname. *''"This is for Rudy Boschwitz!"'' Rudy Boschwitz is a former Republican United States Senator from Minnesota who was defeated by Democrat Paul Wellstone in 1990 and then again in 1996. Before becoming a Senator from Minnesota, he was the founder and chairman of a plywood and Home Improvement retailer, Plywood Minnesota. (Tom (?) says this when Roger throws a piece of plywood on Mick.) *''"We're out of Billy Beer."'' Billy Beer was promoted in the late 1970s by President Carter's brother Billy who was known for his love of beer. *''"Thanks, Hank Hill's friend."'' A "King of the Hill" reference referring to Hank Hill's friends: Dale, Bill and Boomhauer. This riff most likely refers to Boomhauer in that the repairman's Southern drawl slightly ressembles Boomhauer's rapid-fire redneck mumbling. Memorable Quotes '''''A Case of Spring Fever (short) : title is shown : Servo: Me? I'd rather have a case of Bass Ale. : Coily the Spring Sprite: So, you never want to see another spring, eh? Okay, mister, I'll fix it so you get that wish! : Crow Coily: ...In HELL! : Gilbert, a rather rotund man, wishes there were no springs, Coily magically makes them disappear from the world. : Mike: So, one clod says one thing and the whole world pays??? : Crow Gilbert: No springs? I don't care. There's still butter and meatloaf. : proceeds to leave his house for the golf game. He closes the door, but due to the lack of springs in the door lock, it bounces back open. ' : '''Coily: Hey! The door! : Servo Coily: I own your ass, fatboy! Get back here! : Gilbert discovers he can't even operate his car without springs, Coily appears. : Coily: Noooo springs! laughs : Gilbert: Awww, gee, Coily, I didn't realize what I was wishing. I'm sorry for everything I said. Can't we call the whole thing off? Isn't there anything I can do? Please let me take back my wish. : Coily: chin in thought Wellll... : Mike Coily: NO! : Coily: Okay! I'll do it, just this once! But next time, be careful! Don't ever make that wish again! : . . . : that, Coily makes all the springs reappear into existence. : Servo: So Coily waited all eternity for this moment and he backs down almost instantly? : his experience with Coily, Gilbert turns his golf game with his friends into a massive filibuster about the greatness of springs. ' : '''Gilbert: a friend makes a bad shot in their game. Too bad... : Servo Gilbert: ...but if you didn't hate springs so much, that wouldn't have happened! : . . . : Gilbert: You see all spring action depends on elasticity: the ability of material to return to it's original form after it's been forced out of shape... : Mike Gilbert: ...by anti-spring extremists. : several jump cuts and the end of the game, Gilbert's lecture is still going on, much to the annoyance of his friends and the MST3K crew. ' : '''Gilbert: I never realised until lately that springs have such a universal use. Why, there's springs in mousetraps, guns, exercisers, hinges, pogo sticks... : Mike friend: Guns, huh? : . . . : Gilbert: Why, it's practically impossible to name anything in which a spring isn't an essential part in one way or another! looks into sky : Crow Gilbert: Hey, look! God has a spring! : finally finishes lecturing his friends on springs as he pulls up to Joe's house. : Gilbert: Hey, Joe! Wake up! : Crow Gilbert: It's Coily's army of darkness! Look! : . . . : Joe: You and your springs! I hope I never see another— : Gilbert: Stop! Don't say it! Don't ever wish anything like that as long as you live! : looks down to see Coily the Spring Sprite materialize on his car seat. Coily cackles. : Servo Coily: You'll be the first to die! : Jam Handy Production" credit is shown : Crow: Jam Handy, reminds you to keep your preserves in a convenient place! Squirm (movie) : title SQUIRM appears on the screen. : Mike: Well, I don't know why, but okay. : Crow, and Servo all squirm around in their seats. : preface ends with "This is the story..." : Mike: dramatically Of a man named Jed! : Servo Granny Clampett: JEDDDDD!!! : emerges and threatens our hero; after having had worms burrow into his face earlier : Roger: You gonna be da worm face! : Mike: No, you gonna be da worm face! : Sanders and Geri get into an argument over Geri's "gentleman caller." : Mama: Alright, alright, I'll stop butting in. : Mike Geri: Mom, you don't even have a butt. : Mama: I just don't want you to be too disappointed if he doesn't come. : Crow Geri: Mother! That's private. : Mama Sanders: her exaggerated Southern accent I never saw such a storm... : Crow Mama: I do hope Ashley Wilkes can get through. : introduces Mick to her family. : Geri: Mick got off the bus and fell in the swamp! He's soaked clean through, even his suitcases. : Mama Sanders: Well... well, you can give him some of Daddy's old clothes. They're upstairs in the trunk in the storage room. : Servo Mama Sanders: ... along with Daddy. : wants to help Nick fetch some plywood for the windows. : Mick: No, no, no — you stay here. Your mother looks like she's about to crack. I'll be back before it gets dark. : Servo Geri: Mom cracked in 1953. : worm-eaten Roger spies on the Sanders' home from outside in the dark. : Servo Roger/Stevie Wonder: Isn't she lovely? : car bounces quite violently on a pothole : Servo Coily: Noooo springs! Video Release * Commercially released on DVD by Shout Factory in November 2014. It was released as part the Turkey Day Collection (aka Volume 31) along with the episodes Jungle Goddess, The Painted Hills, and The Screaming Skull. It included an exclusive interview with Squirm star Don Scardino. * Scream Factory, a branch of Shout Factory, released a special edition standalone Blu Ray of Squirm one month before the release of the Turkey Day Collection. Category:MST3K Episodes Category:Season 10 Category:Episodes with shorts Category:70s Movie Category:R-rated movies Category:Episodes directed by Kevin Murphy Category:Movies with nudity edited out Category:Movies edited for violent content